(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Half of Israeli adults believe gender will not be a factor in how new Kadima party leader Tzipi Livni carries her foreign and defence policies, according to the Peace Index Project by the Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research and the Evens Program in Mediation and Conflict Resolution of Tel Aviv University. 49 per cent of respondents say Livni’s gender will make no difference in her ability.

In March 2006, Israeli voters renewed the Knesset. Kadima, founded by former prime minister Ariel Sharon and led by then head of government Ehud Olmert, secured 29 seats in the legislature. Labour, the Retired People’s Party (Gil) and the International Organization of Torah-observant Sephardic Jews (Shas) joined Kadima in a coalition. In October, the Israeli cabinet approved the addition of Israel Our Home to the government. The coalition secured the support of 78 of the Knesset’s 120 members.

In May, Israeli police raided the offices of Jerusalem’s city government and seized documents related to Olmert’s tenure as mayor, from 1993 to 2003. Olmert is alleged to have illegally accepted hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars from Moshe Talansky and other wealthy Jewish-American businessmen, either as illegal campaign contributions or bribes. Neither Olmert nor Talansky have been charged with any crime, but now Olmert is under investigation. On Jul. 31, Olmert announced that he would not participate in an extraordinary internal ballot for Kadima’s leadership in September, effectively ending his tenure.

On Sept. 17, Israeli foreign minister Livni defeated transportation minister Shaul Mofaz in a close race to become Kadima’s new leader. Livni will take over as Israel’s prime minister if she can assemble a government within 42 days of being asked to do so by Israeli president Shimon Peres.

Golda Meir is the only woman who has served as Israel’s head of government. She came to power as a member of the left-wing Mapai party in March 1969 and governed until her resignation in June 1974. She is remembered as Israel’s "Iron Lady".

Following Livni’s victory, Rina Bar-Tal, chairperson of the Israel Women’s Network (IWN), said this was "a big day for the citizens of Israel in general and for women in particular," adding, "I truly believe that she [Livni] will become a role model for other women who want to serve in politics. It shows that if you want something bad enough and if you push hard enough, despite the odds, it can be achieved."

Polling Data

Does Tzipi Livni’s gender affect her ability to conduct foreign and defence policies?

Source: Peace Index Project / Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research / Evens Program in Mediation and Conflict Resolution of Tel Aviv University
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 502 Israeli adults, conducted in September 2008. Margin of error is 4.5 per cent.

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